For 61 years, Londoners and visitors alike loved stepping aboard a Red Doubledecker Routemaster Bus. I remember my first ride on one during my college visit to Europe — the drivers were friendly, the cashiers were polite, and your fellow riders were all smiles. My last ride on a Big Red was a year ago with my wife and daughter.

Yesterday, most of these buses were retired in favor of more modern buses that are safer and more fuel efficient. But 16 restored Routemasters will travel a āheritage routeā? that will mainly accommodate tourists.

Comments (2)

The end of the Routemaster is a very sad day! thousands thronged the streets of London to wave goodbye to a transport icon! I had never travelled on the 159 route from Marble Arch to Streatham (South London) but on thursday 8th December I took the 159 along the entire route! Our esteemed mayor, a self confessed Marksist felt no loss at this wonders passing and with a new ‘Bendy Bus’ costing in excess of Ā£200,000 ($370,000) one is left to wonder how much found its way into a brown envelope! What rubs salt into the wound is that ordinary working Londoners are effectively excluded from the new Heritage routes, yet tourists who are not working at 2pm can! RIP the Routemaster 1954 – 2005